News

Large food shippers are citing rapidly inflating freight costs as headwinds to their earnings, including Smuckers, Kraft Heinz, Tyson, Hershey, and General Mills. We round up the impacts to their businesses here, based on earnings call transcripts.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations addressed the potential for hot button ELD exemptions in the report language of its fiscal year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) bill, but the issue was not tackled in the bill itself.

The supply chain keeps throwing out news reports that should concern anybody worried about inflation.

Unable to attend Demo Day at Transparency18? Don’t fret. You can now watch each presentation on our website.

SEC’s Jay Clayton has dismissed the idea of amending securities law to suit ICOs and mentioned that if IPO comes with a token it should be considered a security.

K & L, a privately owned full-service transportation and supply chain solution provider, recently became a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Now that hurricane season has officially begun, Riskpulse presented their 2018 hurricane season outlook, giving participants a front-row seat to their analysis of this year’s prospects.

Dockworker unions in the United States have been and will continue to be the “elephant in the room” when it comes to port terminal enhancements, especially on the West Coast, […]

Container terminals have seen recovering demand and have worked to reduce costs, says Drewry.

The Australia-based software company adds Canadian customs management solutions provider to its growing portfolio.

The parcel carrier and third-party logistics provider is adding direct sailings in 130 trade lanes covering Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, the United States, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

CJ Logistics has ambition to become “top-five global logistics company.”

The latest acquisition will add three countries to the rapidly expanding network.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Class I railway may or may not sell sections totaling about 650 miles.

Imports at ports tracked by the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker were steady in April, ticking up just 0.3 percent year-over-year to 1.63 million TEUs.

Mexico was the leading value and volumes market for U.S. pork and lamb exports, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

The CVSA roadcheck is in full swing now, with the hours of service and the presence of an e-logging device on the deck coming under scrutiny by the DOT officials.

Daimler released two electric commercial vehicles at yesterdays Market Days event for investors and media. The commercial vehicle maker just let everyone know their intentions to not only play but win the electric game.

The Jordan Company has agreed to buy the 3PL GlobalTranz for a reported $400M. GlobalTranz reported $151M in net revenue in 2017.

Roadcheck 2018 is now in full swing. Here at FreightWaves, we thought we’d examine the freight market data in SONAR–our SaaS platform that launched in beta on May 22nd–and see how inspections week is affecting the industry.

Technology like this comes along only every couple of generations. “We believe there will no ‘winner,’ there will be multiple blockchains, and we need to play in a interoperable world. Think of this as a big secure database, with a big secure search engine on top,” said Dale Chrystie of FedEx.

As demonstrated by recent collisions involving autonomous vehicles, drivers must remain vigilant and ready to take control of the vehicle at any moment. “Driver readiness” is paramount to successfully operating an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle,

Fleet CyWatch is an ATA Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) and Transportation Security Council (TSC) supported program that assists fleet members in reporting information about trucking related internet crimes and cyber-attacks, and shares information to fleets about cyber threats that may impact their operations.

On June 7th, the highest odds for a truck being in a collision will occur between 4 pm and 7 pm and between 9 pm and midnight, accounting for 21% and 19% of the day’s accidents, respectively, almost twice what would be expected if accidents occurred at random times.

North American Class 8 truck orders have soared to an all-time high, according to preliminary data from May.

Incumbent OEMs like Daimler, Volvo, and VW have seized the reins in the electric truck race. The only question is whether trucks like the Freightliner eCascadia will be able to deliver a performance competitive with Elon Musk’s Tesla Semi.

The United States’ deficit in goods and services trade shrank another 2.1 percent to $46.2 billion in April, the lowest level in seven months, following a revised 18.2 percent drop […]

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday announced $241 million in grants are being allocated toward 23 transportation projects designed to improve freight mobility across the state.

Congressional Ports Caucus disappointed harbor maintenance language removed from bill.

Container carriers transported more than 13.8 million TEUs in April, bringing the year-to-date total to 54.24 million TEUs, according to the latest data from Container Trade Statistics.

Association of American Railroads: “Right now, the economy is clicking, and railroads are both beneficiaries and enablers of that.”

The labor union is headed for a showdown with the parcel giant that could lead to the largest U.S. strike since 1997 if a deal is not reached by the […]

Canada’s second-largest Class I railway plans to introduce thousands of new hopper cars over the next few years that can carrier more grain.

Adesso system is designed to give less-than-containerload shippers “control and transparency.”

The trade deficit declined from C$3.9 billion in March to C$1.9 billion in April.

Lindsey is named branch manager; Mordhorst gets promotion.

New NSA, NRA language written to relieve regulatory burdens on NVOCCs and shippers.

Rank-and-file longshoremen and employers still have to vote on six-year contract, and local pacts also are being negotiated.

ATA president Chris Spear addressing the crowd at the annual 2018 NAFC.

55 days out from a July 31 deadline, UPS workers represented by the Teamsters have voted to authorize a strike in the event that talks fail.

The recent clarification of personal conveyance rules have left some questions in the market about the expected impact. We go back to the data to make our own assessement.

New truck orders in May have doubled YOY; Navistar takes $50M in profits in Q2; the Permian Basin is out of workers; coal export volumes by rail are better than expected; air freight rates up 22% YOY; housing prices expected to outstrip inflation and wage growth.

Rank-and-file longshoremen and employers still have to vote on six-year contract, and local pacts also are being negotiated.

SAP announced the expansion of its SAP Leonardo Blockchain technologies, through which the company hopes to create immediate business value for its clients.

Navistar has rolled out a series of new products in the last few years and the strong overall economy is helping the once-beleaguered truck maker rebound with another strong performance in its second-quarter earnings, beating Wall Street estimates.

With transport stocks surging, some market watchers are hopeful that the current expansion period will continue despite downturns in the broader market earlier this year.

The world of transportation is changing and changing fast. After decades of little innovation, the past five years or so have ushered in a sea change and it will profoundly impact the way people and goods move.

Eye on Safety sponsored by SmartDrive …There is clearly a link between truck drivers who speed also partaking in other dangerous activities.

FTR Transportation Intelligence reports fleets are struggling to keep up with demand in “red-hot market.”

Alibaba Cainiao says the facility “should be able to handle tens of millions of packages a year and bring an additional 1.7 million tons of cargo per year to the […]

The port just finished a renovation project at North Cargo Piers 1 and 2 and has other projects in the works that are expected to be completed in 2019.

Third-party provider CEVA Logistics says the integrated service with IMS Worldwide will provide substantial savings to customers on duties and import fees.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has opened an inquiry into the loss of 83 containers off the Yang Ming containership off the coast of New South Wales last week.

Lloyd’s List says the European shortsea and feeder carrier is being shopped just five years after being acquired by Nordic Capital.

The French ocean carrier has been working with San Francisco-based maritime technology startup Shone to develop artificial intelligence systems for use on CMA CGM containerships.

Legislation also proposed could relieve up to 90 percent of the trucking industry from the logging device mandate.

Logistics company hires key account manager; properties group names corporate affairs lead; airline taps commercial activities chief; industry groups elect board members; and longtime public servant becomes EVP.

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and PortMiami are among the grant beneficiaries.

While the topic of the nation’s driver squeeze remains on the table, sign-on bonuses have come under intense scrutiny. As with recent pay increases, we’ve seen a boost in bonuses offered by some of the biggest names in the game.

Port expected to give final approval to new SSA Terminal deal for Oakland International Container Terminal and Matson Terminal.

The job openings rate in the overall economy hovered at record highs at the start of the 2nd quarter, as companies across industries continue to struggle to find workers. Results from the transportation sector show an industry facing a significant challenge, and wages will likely face additional pressure to rise in upcoming months.

Mexico, Canada, and the EU announce retaliatory tariffs; Dow Transports still above 200 day average; the US asks OPEC for a production hike; DHL remains largest air freight forwarder; containership loses 86 boxes in storm off Australia; how China beats US steel tariffs.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., says he and others are “crafting” legislation requiring congressional authority over levying tariffs in response to President Donald Trump’s imposition of stiff steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

Hyundai Merchant Marine wants to grow its fleet to 1M TEU capacity and vault itself into the ranks of the very largest maritime carriers. The South Korean government is financing HMM’s expansion after letting Hanjin collapse in 2016/7.

Uber Freight has introduced a new tool called “fleet mode” that helps small fleet owners to manage all their drivers under a single account on the app.

The supply chain payment and finance platform provider’s Series E funding round, led by heavy hitters Goldman Sachs and PSP Investments, brings its total valuation to $1.1 billion.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Unless you are one of the many drivers who have proclaimed the next three days as vacation days, there is a good chance you will run into an inspection somewhere. If so, will you be prepared?

Investigators want to see if Macron’s right-hand man promoted interests of shipping company.

Singapore-based ocean carrier Pacific International Lines is injecting several thousand TEUs per week of capacity into the trade between Asia and the east coast of South America.

The truckload carrier is issuing and selling up to 16,668,000 shares, while stockholders are selling up to 1,388,000 shares.

Investigations were launched after petitions were received from companies in Illinois and Texas.

Israel-based container shipping carrier makes senior management changes; transportation intelligence provider names VP of North American sales.

California is introducing digital license plates that can relay real-time location information to a cloud server and has the ability to display ads and emergency information to motorists while on the road.

The L.A. market wakes up after a sleepy early spring. With container prices increasing on the spot market, China could be the main factor.

Hyperloop is just one of the technologies that is looking to change the way goods and people move over the next 30 years.

Schneider National’s Shaleen Devgun joins San Francisco-based venture capital firm 8VC as an advisor. FreightWaves spoke to Devgun and 8VC co-founder and partner Jake Medwell by phone.

The truckload business is booming, but how high will rates go? Hyundai Merchant Marine orders 20 new containerships; China keeps the door open on US trade talks; global equities rise on US jobs report; a pension fund is building a $4.9B railroad in Quebec; manufacturing activity expands.

After years of advocacy in the industry, it seems the cultural shift may have finally reached a tipping point.

Manufacturing activity continues to expand in the 2nd quarter, and challenges with finding employees and tight freight capacity have made it difficult for producers in the economy to keep up with strong demand.

On his last day in office as governor, Chris Christie signed a bill into law withdrawing New Jersey from the bi-state compact that created the agency in 1953.

Decentralized technology could change some of the fundamental ways that the trade community keeps in line with government regulations.

The YM Efficiency was en route from Kaohsiung to Sydney when it encountered adverse weather conditions throwing 83 containers overboard and damaging 30 more on deck.

The acquisition of Finlogistics doubles the Danish company’s activities in Finland.

Hyundai Merchant Marine’s 20 new containerships will have an aggregate capacity of 388,000 TEUs.

Increased duties will take effect when the International Trade Commission publishes its final injury determination.

Surett is promoted to CFO; Cornede is named executive director; Matthews is tapped as association president.

BiTA is opening an office in Singapore to cater to the Asian and Oceanian market, building on its recent membership success in the region.

Candid conversations with leaders in the logistics/truck freight brokerage industry.

With the so-called driver squeeze continuing to make headlines in 2018 (FreightWaves, The Washington Post, USA Today, and NPR), some trucking companies are pushing back against the shortage with announcements of their own: pay increases for their drivers.

Given the raised possibility of getting pulled over and inspected, a lot of drivers are choosing to take some time off.

Much of the focus is on its financials rather than any significant shift in operations.

With topics ranging broadly on economic and marketplace trends, to blockchain technology, to autonomous trucks and connected vehicles, to 3D printing, to green trucking, to the possibilities of rail, maritime, air freight and much more. And all for free thanks to sponsor, LaunchIt.

A monthly survey of all the important economic developments from the past month, and a look at some of the key trends to watch throughout the month of June.

Job growth improved considerably in May as the unemployment rate matched a near-50 year low. Trucking hires also made significant strides during the month, erasing the large decline in trucking employment from last month.

Also: jobs report, the FMCSA guidance, and who should pay for parking?

Shipware’s proprietary technology audits weekly carrier invoices to recover refunds on all billing errors, ensuring proactive compliance of contract rates and terms, as well as on-time service performance.

No longer just a tire company, Michelin is quickly becoming a “solutions” company as it positions itself as a business its customers can rely on regardless of their needs.

Given just 3 minutes to make their pitch and an additional 2 minutes to answer judges’ questions, 15 startup companies did their best to show judges at the Movin’ On conference why their solutions will change the market.

Rising cost of fuel, port congestion among reasons cited for $55-per-TEU charge.

“Jetblack” will allow select customers in Manhattan and Brooklyn to send shopping requests via text message and have their orders delivered within one day.